Our new kitchen

Finally, our kitchen, still getting to terms with where everything is and enjoying the extra space. Best bit for the children is not having to eat daily in disposable plates/cutlery, or so they say.
For me, the cooking on the same cooker, but the novelty of having new stuff around.
We didnt have an island in the end, but went for H's next best option of a breakfast bar. The children eat at it, the youngest has fallen off the bar stool but will hopefully learn.

This is the extended bit, we've still got to get a proper sofa and a larger table.
All in all a much better experience than we imagined.........

Kitchen extension Week 5 - The Last Week!

 At last, we're on the final week of our kitchen extension, and the kitchen is actually being fitted.......tiles laid yesterday. Simultaneously, part of the garage is having a floor put down and being painted nice clean colours.
Having Benchmarx's pre built carcasses reduces time spent on fitting but there's still loads to be done, say the builders/fitters.
The underfloor heating feels lovely and spread out, not localised like a radiator. Hopefully will never need repairing, its under a thick layer of concrete!
Bit worried about the wood/cream units and then a black cooker and silver fridge, but have been told it will be fine.......I feel all thats missing in our hotpot of colours is some pink and blue etc.
The option was to have a black and something kitchen, but, that was all I didn't want. Our cooker is the only thing in the whole house that is black.
Chosen in the days before we moved house and had a kitchen

when we thought ranges have to be black and nothing else.
Our builders have been a lovely team of people, helpful and polite. Apart from their work, which is very good, its been nice having them around, from the horror stories we have heard about builders.

So, looking forward to Friday and the completion of this big undertaking for us.......will update with pictures.

No kitchen for 10 days, Sainsburys Cafe review

 From  my previous posts, while our kitchen extension has been happening, we have now reached 10 days without a kitchen/cooker/cupboards etc.
I was initially quite happy about not cooking, but as the first few days passed and we all tired of ready meals and takeaways, am now changing my views.

Anyway, we went to Sainsbury's Cafe yesterday evening. H works late, so his curry/rice was at home (courtesy our lovely friends).
Our regular haunt is Morrisons Cafe, the Rubery one is lovely, fantastic staff, but the main thing is good

food at incredible prices.
More on that in another post.
This was the new Longbridge Sainsbury's, built on the old MG Rover site. First pic is a huge wall with timelines including Rover.
Cafe deserted at 5:45pm. Until we left.
This pic is a kids meal of sausages and mash. All hot kids meals and lunch bags are £3. Half a jacket is £1.70. Adult meals are around the £5ish mark.
Drinks - Tea for a pound, coffee a couple of pounds something. Slice of  fudge cake £1.50.
Kids meals come with a piece of fruit and a drink.
Our kids were ravenous, so wolfed this down, then remarked that the Morrisons sausages were much larger. Fact.
Overall ok. I cannot help comparing it to Morrisons where there is a larger variety of children's meals, kids eat free with an adult meal, get a bag of cut fruit, chocolate, activity pack and a drink for £2.50.
We are regular weekly shoppers at Sainsbury's, probably go to the cafe once a year. Regular monthly eaters (at least the children are) at Morrisons Rubery, as a result tend to do lots of shopping when we go there.........more on our eating for this week in another post.

Kitchen extension Week 4 Days 1-5

 Week 4, Day 1 - this is the walls and ceiling plasterboarded today. Looking much brighter already.

This is the old kitchen, where the new kitchen is also going to be, unplasterboarded and looking like a dungeon!

Lots of other work, drains and gas being sorted, paving being replaced outside, step being done (think its not really needed, H thinks is compulsory with the children).
Next week, hopefully the kitchen comes in.

 Walls plastered Day 2

 Old kitchen, which will be the main bit of the new kitchen being plasterboarded and plastered Day 3.

Other work being done - paving relaid outside and a new step.

Express happenings in the garage - it has been cleared of about our 100 odd bags of junk/stuff to be sorted in 2 days and they are currently transforming it into a playroom sort of place.......very very quickly, should be done by Fri!

 Days 4&5 - a few coats of paint et voila - its finished, well the construction is.......four weeks later.
2 of the team did the painting, the rest have been busy transforming a part of the garage into this lovely living space - our unexpected added bonus.......
I have no before picture of the mess/bags/stuff in the garage, its empty now.
One of the builders team spent most of Friday doing stuff to the windows......cant quite figure out what, but from his face and words, have concluded its something major - so showed appropriate pleasure etc......

 Now, next week, Monday the tiles and Tues-Fri the kitchen will be fitted, and then hopefully over.
Im very happy with the light in the room, it looked dark and miserable when there was just brick.

Now our search for our Indian 10 seater table........short of sourcing something from India direct...